1. Field of the Invention
The present invention concerns digital television signal processing and, more particularly, concerns digital television signal status with respect to signal disturbance of a digital television signal in a digital television receiver.
2. Background Information
Digital television signals often experience what is known as the “cliff effect”, whereby the digital television signal or channel either comes in perfectly or not at all. There is no “in-between” as is the case with an analog television signal. Currently, when the cliff or another like-producing effect occurs, the television only presents to the user either a blank screen or some sort of “weak signal” indication. In both cases, the user is not provided with sufficient information to ascertain the problem. The television thus does not provide any help in determining the problem. The user, therefore, does not know whether the digital television signal is marginal, intermittent, turned off at the source, or whether it is unviewable due to program information or video stream data being invalid.
Presently, some televisions are equipped with a digital television signal strength indicators that is provided as an on-screen display. These signal strength indicators, however, are provided to either aid in the set-up of a digital television antenna which is accessible via a menu option, or strictly as a menu option to ascertain signal strength. For the case of no or low signal strength as the cause of an unviewable digital television signal, the user has the option to view signal strength, but only after navigating through various menu options, in order to try and determine the nature of the signal disturbance. This is a nuisance and also ineffective for marginal signal disturbances that disrupt the digital television signal only briefly (e.g. planes flying overhead).
It is evident from the above that there is a need for providing information regarding signal disturbance of a digital television signal to a user in a digital television signal receiver.
It is further evident from the above that there is a need for presenting system state information regarding a digital television signal disturbance to a user in a digital television signal receiver.
It is moreover evident from the above that there is a need for providing a means to aid a user in resolving signal disturbance issues of a digital television signal in a digital television signal receiver.